Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center participated in the Third Regional Project Steering Committee (3RPSC) Meeting of the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Phase II Project held on 19–22 May 2026 in Negombo. Representing SEAFDEC’s Training Department were Ms. Suwanee Sayan, Senior Project Planning and Management Officer; Ms. Yanida Suthipol, IUU Fishing Countermeasure Section Head; and Ms. Rattana Tiaye, Fisheries Management Researcher. The meeting gathered Project Steering Committee members and National Coordinators from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, together with representatives from partner organizations including Global Environment Facility (GEF), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Food and Agriculture Organization Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation.
The meeting featured both a Technical Meeting and the Third RPSC Meeting. During the technical sessions, SEAFDEC and BOBP-IGO presented progress, achievements, and budget proposals for activities implemented from January 2025 to June 2026 under Component 1 on Sustainable Fisheries Management. Discussions focused on strengthening the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) and combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. Updates were also presented on Component 3 activities related to pollution reduction, particularly fishing port waste management and fishing gear marking initiatives.
Meanwhile, IUCN reported progress under Component 2 on the restoration and conservation of critical marine habitats and Component 4 on improving coastal livelihoods. Updates on Component 5, including the BOBLME Climate Change Resilience (CCR) Consortium, communication strategy, and monitoring and evaluation activities, were also shared. In addition, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations presented updates on the project’s Mid-Term Review, Terminal Evaluation, and future direction toward the GEF-9 phase.
The Third RPSC Meeting reviewed and endorsed the Annual Work Plan and Budget for July 2026 to June 2027. Following the meeting, the Regional Coordination Unit organized a field visit on 21–22 May 2026 to Jaffna and Mannar. Participants visited a sea cucumber farm and the Vidataltivu Nature Reserve, where they met local community members in Vidattaltivu Village to learn about community-based coastal resource management and livelihood activities.
These activities were conducted under the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystems Phase II (BOBLME II) project, implemented by FAO and executed by IUCN, BOBP-IGO and SEAFDEC, funded by GEF and Norad.
